~ Ata special meeting of the Vestry of Christ’s Church,Raleigh, held 
on the 18th day of June 1840,a letter of resignation from the Rev. Dr. 
Freeman,the Rector of the church, was read in the following words— 
Dear Brethren, 

_ Believing that the time has fully come when I can no’ 

longer hope to be substantially useful to the people of my charge, f 
feel it to be my duty to tender to you, as I hereby do, my resignation 
as Rector of Christ’s Church: and I beg that you will aecept the same, 
as it is offered in the spirit of good will and brotherly love, 

With many thanks for past kindnesses, and with heartfelt wishes 
and earnest prayers for the future prosperity both temporal and spiti- 
tual of yourselves and the congregation which you represent, 

- Lam Brethren, 
Respectfully and affectionately 
Your friend and servant, 


Gro, W. FREEMAN. 
To 


The Wardens and Vestry # 
of Christ’s Church Raleigh, . 
June 18th, 1840. 
_And accompanying the said letter of resignation (to be read in case 
the Vestry should ask for the reasons which had induced the resigna- 
tion) was a paper in the following words— — 
Should it be inquired by the Wardens and Vestry of Christ’s Church, 
_on what grounds the Rector has come to the conclusion that he can 
no longer hope to be generally useful to the congregation comprising 
_ his present charge, he would in all kindness, but frankly, sabmit the 
Se eiiowing reply: 
That it is essential to the usefulness of one sustaining the relation of 
Pastor to a christian flock, that the members of his communionas a 
body, and himself should “be of one mind” in regard, at Jeast, to the 
_ more important matters of faith and practice, the Rector supposes will 
“not bedenied. The pastor and his flock, maintaining and acting un- 
Wer different, especially opposite views of christian doctrine and chris 
_.. tian duty, it is easy to see that the respect entertained for him, and con” 
sequently his influence for good, must be greatly circumscribed, In- 


Pan’ 


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struction, reproof, warning upon those points on which they differ will 
be thrown away—nay will probably be trampled under foot; and he 
who offers them may soon become an object of dislike, if not of scorn 
and insult. Nor will there be hope of better success in his ministra- 
tions to that interesting class which the christian minister habitually 
regards as “the hope of the flock”—the young and rising generation, 
The prevailing sentiments and practice of theit seniors in the church 

will, with them, almost always outweigh the precept of their minister, 
and he can never open his lips in instruction to them upon any of 
those contested points, however important he may view them, with the 
least hope of effect. His office,as an authoritative instructor in righte- 
ousness,has virtually come to an end. - 

‘ And it is much in this situation that the Rector of Christ’s Church 
finds himself placed now at the close of the eleventh year of his minis- 
try in that Church. He and a large portion of the communicants of 
his charge, including a large majority of the Wardens and Vestry,are 
directly at issue upon a subject which he sincerely believes to be inti- 
mately connected with the interests of vital religion among them— 
that of christians indulging in worldly amusements. 

When he first took charge of the congregation, and for several, per- 
haps FIVE years aflerwards,such a thing as a communicant’s attending 
a theatre, a publick ball, or even a private dancing party, was scarcely 
known among them, nor was there a voice heard in approbation of 
such a practice. Indeed itis believed that the sense of the great ma- 
jority,if not ofthe whole communion,was strong and decisive against it. 
That the Rector was of the same opinion with his flock upon the sub. 
ject, the whole tenor ef his teachings both public and private, from the 

-beginning of his ministrations has abundantly borne witness, and for 
FIVE years he was happy in the belief that he and his brethren of the 
communion were, in respect to the matter in question, “of one heart 
and one Soul.” 

Since that period, however, a change has come over the congrega- 
tion, a new spirit has arisen, and the Pastor and his flock are no longer 
“of one mind.” Successively, the questions have been virtually raised 
and more or less discussed between the congregation and their minis- 
ter; Ist, Whether communicants of the church, consistently with the 
solemn vows which are upon them, and their sacred character as 
“temples of the Holy Ghost,” as “members of Christ, children of God, 
and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven,” may give at their own hou- 
ses, or attend at the houses of others, those worldly entertainments, 
commonly called dancing parties: and 2d, whether they may with 


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like consistency attend public places of worldly amusements, such as 
Theatres, Circuses,and Balls. 

On both these questions the Rector has constantly, and he trusts 
conscientiously, yet affectionately maintained the negative, ‘Notwith- 
standing his frequently expressed opinions, however, and in spite of 
his most strenuous efforts to procure from his people what he deem- 
ed a right decision, and to establish a wholesome practice upon these 
points, the former question, it would seem, and he supposes will be ad- 
mitted, has for some time past been by the general voice, as indicated 
by the general practice, decided in the affirmative. While the latter, 
although pending the former, it seemed to be conceded that it was by 
no means to be sustained, has since found numerous practical suppor- 
ters, and more recently has in like manner with the other seemed to 
be affirmatively settled. 

Thus are these two questions decided, at least by the general prac- 
tice of the communicants,in direct contrariety to the known opinions,and 
the solemn public and private teaching of their minister. 

Under these circumstances, there having been no change of senti- 
ment on the part of the Rector, it still being his honest and decided be- 
lief that the practice thus established, if persevered in, will be ultimate- 
ly destructive of all vital religion in the congregation, and being de- 
prived by these decisions,as he thinks,of all reasonable hope of further 
benefiting materially the people of his charge, especially the young to 
whom he has been accustomed to look with most confidence of hone, 
he has felt it to be his duty, and indeed the only consistent course left 
for him to pursue, to retire if permitted, from his most difficult post,and 
give place to some other person who by the blessing of God may be 
more successful in engaging the affections of the congregation, and in- 
spiring them with respect and confidence in him, as a wise and judi- 
cious pastor, and asafe spiritual guide. 

GEO. W. FREEMAN. 

Raleigh, June 18th, 1840. 

And therefore on motion it was resolved, that the said resignation 
be accepted, to take effect at the expiration of the current year ofthe 
pastor’s engagement. 

And it was also resolved, that a committee be appointed by the sen- 
ior warden to consider ofand report proper resolutions, &c.on the oc- 
easion, to the vestry atan adjourned meeting, to be held on the 25th of 
said month. 

And at the adjourned meeting Messrs. Badger and Bryan, the com- 
mittee so appointed, submitted the following report—which, with the 


4 


preamble and resolutions accompanying the same, was adopted by the 
Vestry. 

The Committee having read the paper drawn up by the Rev. Dr. 
Freeman, and containing the reasons which induced his resignation, 
tendered and accepted at the last meeting ofthe vestry, think it due to 
themselves, to the Vestry, and to the congregation, to submit some ob- 
servations thereupon, before offering the resolutions which accompany 
this report, 

The Committee believe that there are many things in the conduct 
of life, about which religion gives us “no positive precept,” in reference 
to which there is “room for difference of opinion,” and on which every 
member of the church has a right-to form his own judgment, and is 
not justly liable to condemnation for it by them who embrace an oppo- 
site opinion. Amongst these things “are certain diversions and a 
certain degree of intercourse with general society, about the lawful- 
ness or unlawfulness of which,there not only does, but may reasonably 
exist that sort of difference in opinion which prevailed among the 
Jewish converts as to the Mosaic rites, or amongst the Gentiles as to 
meat offered to idols.” -In regard to these he that partaketh hath no 
right;to despise him that scruples to partake; nor hath he that entertains 
the mantinle a tight tojudge him that partaketh, Every man, indeed 
should be fully persuaded in hisown mind lest his conscience con- 
dern him in that which his practice alloweth—but beyond this, in re- 
gard to these things, there is, in our view, no positive and obligatory 
precept. In regard to them therefore no man has a right to require 
of another, as a point of religious duty, conformity with his opinion or 
his practice. If he can establish by argument thejustness of his opin. 
ion, or reasonableness of his practice, he will have achieved the victo. 
ry of truth over error, but he can have no right to supply by authority 
the defectiveness of his proof. We believe that “to inveigh 1n gene- 
ral terms against public assemblies, and amusements sanctioned by so- 
ciety, as if all toleration of them were positive evidence of a worldly 
spirit” and “as ifa practice necessarily became unchristian because it 
had public opinion in its favor,” “is neither just nor practicaily useful ;” 
that it is “to confound things indifferent in themselves, with things 
wrong in themselves,” and to erect out of an allowable difference of 
opinion on subjects left unsettled by positive precept, “a sort of party 
distinction” in the Chureh, whereby “the union among brethren who 

have one common interest is dissolved, and the friendly collision which 


would be beneficial to “both parties is exchanged for an injurious op- 
position.” 


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With these views (held we believe by a large majority of the con- 
g@regation) weand others exercising an undoubted right to decide for 
ourselves, those matters which have not been settled for us, have adop- 
ted the opinion that “those entertainments commonly called dancing 
parties” are 2x themselves innocent and allowable, and hence we 
have attended them at the houses of our friends, and have given 
themat our own. We have thought that if Christians in St. Paul’s 
time were at liberty when bidden, to attend feasts at the houses of 
avowed Idolaters, it cannot bein itself wrong, in our day, to attend or 
give feasts, with or to, friends and acquaintances who are at the least 
nominal christians, and certainly neither professed idolaters nor athe- 
ists. As this privilege of attending such feasts in the apostle’s day 
was not restricted to those from which danciug was banished, so we 
conceive that their lawfulness now is not affected by the presence or 
absence of that amusement. 

We have been aware that our Rector entertained different views, we 
have regretted that he did, but we freely accorded to him the same 
right of judgment which we claimed for ourselves,and never for a mo- 
ment supposed that such difference of opinion formed any barrier a- 
gainst Christian communion,or kindly intercourse,or mutual respect. 
We felt sure that no man had aright to demand uniformity of opin- 
ion or practice in matters not determined by christianity ; and that the 
relation of pastor and people did not involve the surrender on the part 
of the latter ofall freedom of thought, and the adoption ofany rule of 
‘conduct, merely because he deemed it proper and necessary to_pre- 
sctibeit. Ifwe are wrong in this, then the gospel so far from having 
delivered us from*that body of ceremonial observances which the Jews 
found intolerable,and given us some freedom of thought and action in 
regard to matters of mere expediency (that is of matters not deter- 
mined by the gospel) has in effect left us liable to the imposition of a 
ritual for all the intercourse of life as strict, minute and burdensome as 
that of the Jews without its permanence,its limitations, its uniformity, 

-orits divine original. ‘l'o submit to divine appointments with implic- 
it obedience is the part of true wisdom, for of them we are sure the 
reason is the highest and best whether it be known tous or not; but 
the opinions of men can justly command assent only so far as they ap- 
pear to be supported by adequate reasons, To give to these opinions 
the form of laws would have an effect upon the pastor no less injurious 
than upon the congregation, and ifall right of inquiry, of private judg- 
ment, be denied to the congregation, it seems a very useless proceed- 
ing to put the scriptures into their hands with directions to examine 

. “ 


t 


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—to try the doctrines they hear—to search the scriptures for their 
guidance in the path of duty. Yielding to others the same freedum 
we claim for ourselves, we had supposed the difference of opinion 
which has obtained between the Rector and the congregation furnish- 
ed no ground of separation, and we were greatly surprised when we 
first learned that he thought otherwise. 

With regard to “Public Balls, Circuses and Theatres,” we are not 
aware that the congregation generally, has determined any thing as to 
their propriety or expediency, at least any thing in favor of the two 
Jast named, but- whatever may be our individual opinion respecting 
them, we claim no right to enforce its adoption on others, These, 
with the dancing parties,we conceive to belong to a debateable subject, 
on which difference of opinion by no means argues difference of prin- 
ciple, That abstaining cannot be justly viewed as betokening “‘affecta- 
tion of righteousness over much” nor participation as proof of “slavery 
to the world and a love of pleasure in place of love to God.” 

If therefore the decision by general{practice be,as the Rector supposes, 
it would furnish no necessary ground of separation, unless it can be 
shown that no opinion or practice of the congregation should ever be 
avowed or followed,when in opposition to “the known opinion and sol. 
emn public and private teaching of their minister ;” orin other words, 
that any matter on which the Rector deems it his duty to deliver a sol- 
emn and official opinion, at once ceases to be a subject of discussion 
and enquiry, and by force of his opinion becomes a point of faith, or 
an obligatory rule of conduct. 

This proposition, we are sure that the Rector will notin terms 
maintain, and yet it seems to us that the reasons given for resigning 
his situation do necessarily presuppose a duty no less extensive, of 
submission to and conformity of opinion and practice with the Rector, 
on the part of the congregation; to this we can never yield; to this we 
do not think the congregation will, or ought to yield. 

Shortly then we think the matters referred toin Dr. Freeman’s pa- 
per, are not things determined by the founder of our faith, that they 
belong toa large class of objects indifferent in themselves, involving 
mere questions of expediency, in regard to which it is anerror “to at- 
temptto fix a definite limit of universal obligation,” and by consequence 
that the differences adverted to by the Rector, furnish in themselves 
no just ground of interruption to/full, affectionate, mutual, christian in- 
tercourse and communion, and are only just cause of separation on 


account ofthe mistaken views (as we think) of the Rector in relation 
shereto. 


7 


But weclaim no right to pass judgment on the Rector’s opinions 
on these matters, nor to think hardly of him because he does not agree 
in opinion with us; we doubt not his sincerity—we respect his mo- 
tives, we remember his virtues and his services, and having frankly 
stated the views we entertain in common with the great body of the 
congregation, we recommended to the vestry the adoption of the ac- 
companying resolutions. 

G. E. BADGER. 
J. H. BRYAN. 

June 25th, 1840. 

The pastoral connexion of the Rev. Dr: Freeman, with the congre- , 
gation of Christ Church, which has now subsisted for eleven years, 
having been dissolved by his resignation, the wardens and vestry 
deem it proper on the occasion to declare, that, in their judgment, Dr, 
Freeman during that whole period, has discharged the duties of his 
station with eminent ability and faithfulness; that he has been great- 
iy instrumental in enlarging the numbers and elevating the character 
of the members of the church; that for his understanding and attain- 
ments as a Divine, and his performances as a preacher, the congrega- 
tion generally up to the very moment of his resignation felt great re- 
spect, for his person a warm attachment, and in his piety entire confi- 
dence; and thatthe vestry have no doubt these sentiments were fully 
merited by the personal conduct and christian character of Dr. Free- 
man. 

Therefore, Resolved, That when the resignation of tne Rev. Dr. 
Freeman was presented, we felt the deepest regret that he should for 
any cause have deemed it necessary to resign the charge of the con- 
gregation. 

Resolved, That Dr. Freeman has presided over this parish with 
great ability and uniform zeal and fidelity, and that his ministrations 
have been blessed with signal and very unusual success. 


